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Work in progress portrait of Daria second sitting close up April 9 2019 by Suzanne Forbes

I took an eight-day Make-Cation, where all I did was bricolage and assemblage.

Work in progress portrait of Daria April 9 2019 by Suzanne Forbes

It was so relaxing and fun! So I was strong and ready to dive in the second sitting with Daria.

To the left you can see the portrait about halfway through our second sitting, after an hour or so.

It is easier painting someone you know well, someone you have spent hundreds of hours with. It doesn’t actually feel easier, but better results happen without being aware of how.

So this challenging foreshortened facial view, with Daria’s head bent over her ipad, and part of her face obscured by her hanging hair, was very doable.

I expect we will finish in one more sitting!

You can see the first sitting here and Daria’s website and Instagram here. Her witchy boots are starting to emerge, below! I still need to paint in her jewelry and tattoos.

As always, this portrait is painted alla prima (without any preliminary drawing or underpainting), in straight-from-the-tube acrylic mixed only on the canvas. I am continuing to tone my canvas with acrylic paint to an even 50% grey before painting and absolutely loving the results as it increases my speed even more. The large painting seen below is about five hours total work.

Work in progress portrait of Daria second sitting April 9 2019 by Suzanne Forbes

You can never really get used to the sight of a very tall, loud, slightly drunk gay man in a glittering velvet bunny suit.

As often I as see, and draw, Scotty the Blue Bunny performing, there is still a pleasant frisson of shock at just how much blue bunny he is. Even in flats!

The beauty below is La Viola Vixen, mâitresse of Shimmy Shake School.

This was my first time making it to the Shimmy Shake Show, which features students, graduates and teachers from Berlin burlesque school The Shimmy Shake School. It is held at the beautiful vintage venue Ballhaus Berlin, where I go multiple times a year for Dr. Sketchy’s Berlin.

You can call the bar to order a drink with the antique telephones on the tables, though the bar is always too busy to bring you a beverage when I’ve been there!

As you can see, the audience members were dressed for the show.

I was invited to draw at the show by Shimmy Shake teacher La Loba Lucía, who I became a mad fan of after I saw her perform at Extravagant Shambles. She is the most leonine, ferocious, superheroic burlesque performer I have seen so far. Drawings of her act coming soon!

Meanwhile, here is another instructor, Anja Pavlova, performing a ballet-like burlesque that had a rococo Rites-of-Spring feel!

And here is Cadbury Parfait, who produces Extravagant Shambles.

I have been invited to draw at Extravagant Shambles several times now and really love the crew.

I also know Stella Von Fersen, seen below as a pearl emerging from satin oyster fans, from the Shambles.

There was a Neo-burlesque duet, below, that was passionate and lovely, Adèle Meta Morphosis is the dancer.

And btw, check out Scott’s beautiful gay portrait sanctuary, Love Gay People, here.

Lots of love to my beautiful Patrons on Patreon, who make it possible for me to document Berlin’s queer intersectional burlesque scene and release the artwork free to all!

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Suzanne Forbes, a New Yorker thriving in Berlin. Crowdfunded documentary art made possible by the generous support of her Patrons. https://www.patreon.com/SuzanneForbes.

Tag Archives: traditional portraiture for alternative lifestyles

Back to work! Portrait of Daria, second sitting.